President Donald Trump’s sensitive fake news radar failed him Wednesday, when he appeared to earnestly retweet a Mike Pence parody account insulting Hillary Clinton.The president retweeted the account, which used the display name “Vice President Mike Pence,” in the midst of a three-day tweetstorm detailing a number of wild, and largely debunked, conspiracy theories.
It’s unclear if Trump thought the account belonged to Pence or if he’s simply trying a new thing — earlier in the day, he tweeted a meme that had been circulating on the Reddit Donald board for weeks showing a number of political figures, including his own deputy attorney general, photoshopped behind bars.Despite defeating Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election, Trump has maintained a fixation on his long-vanquished opponent, referencing her in most major speeches and interviews. On Wednesday, the president seemed particularly irritated by his opponent from two years ago, retweeting a number of insulting messages about her.
The White House did not immediately respond to VICE News’ inquiry about whether Trump knew that wasn’t Pence.Cover image: PENSACOLA, FL - NOVEMBER 03: U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence at a campaign rally at the Pensacola International Airport on November 3, 2018 in Pensacola, Florida. President Trump is campaigning in support of Republican candidates in the upcoming midterm elections. (Photo by Mark Wallheiser/Getty Images)